favorite blues guitarist

[MarkRhodes]

I met Johnny a few times in the early 90's when he was living in NYC.....without going into specifics he was a mess back then with a bunch of issues....but was really trying to get it together. Not sure if he ever got it worked out.... I will say that at the the time he was about 45 or 46 but looked about 65. He's also a pretty small guy which also probably made him look a bit older. Was always a really nice guy despite all the problems.

He seems to have gotten things together enough in recent years to make some good records. I enjoyed "Roots" and look forward to the one due in the Fall, I think it'll be called "Step Back." "Roots" has a guest guitarist on every track and the tunes are, well, Johnny's "roots."

Here's "Dust My Broom" with Derek Trucks.

[MarkRhodes]

Nice list. I dig all those guys quite a lot and am lucky enough to have caught every one live at least once (except Freddy). I got to see Snooks Eaglin in New Orleans about 20 years ago at one of those bowling alley rock-and-bowl places. Totally unique player and singer who explores stuff beyond blues as well -check out his takes on stuff like "Apache."

I saw Snooks at the Rock'n'Bowl too! I loved that place. (It was damaged by Katrina and was moved a little ways down S. Carrollton toward the river bend.)

Here's Snooks doing "Lipstick Traces" live (with George Porter, Jr. on bass.) Snooks has his own sort of fingerstyle....

[MattC]

I saw Snooks at the Rock'n'Bowl too! I loved that place. (It was damaged by Katrina and was moved a little ways down S. Carrollton toward the river bend.)

Mid-city Lanes, is that the name of it? I never lived in NOLA, but I spent about 2 weeks there 20 years ago-went to the Jazz and Heritage Fest and lots of club shows. I remember talking to Snooks that night. He was holding forth with a story about a drunken Earl King spilling a drink on his head! (Snooks being kinda short).

[GuyBoden]

For a white, electric, British blues, for me, it's got to be Jeff Beck.

[MarkRhodes]

Mid-city Lanes, is that the name of it? I never lived in NOLA, but I spent about 2 weeks there 20 years ago-went to the Jazz and Heritage Fest and lots of club shows. I remember talking to Snooks that night. He was holding forth with a story about a drunken Earl King spilling a drink on his head! (Snooks being kinda short).

Yup, that's the place. Mid-City Lanes rock'n' bowl. Mid-City is that part of New Orleans, and the seminary I spent four years was a short walk away, so I was there a few times... My understanding is that it is now across the street from the seminary... My favorite show ever there was Tony Joe While (of "Polk Salad Annie" fame.) He played guitar and had a drummer, that was it.

[jds1978]

Agree about the early Clapton phrasing. Still kills me. The live version of Sleepy Time. How in the pocket can a player be? To my ears still the best sustaining guitar sound I've ever heard although Derek Trucks is definitely in that tonal dept.
Raw power, volume and that freakish timing/phrasing that he lost in later years.
The day he picked up a Strat was the day the music died IMHO.

Awww, man.....Don't be that guy (j/k)

I rate '461 Ocean Blvd' and his first solo album above Cream. You all read that right; I like Slowhand when he dials back the fuzz tone. Super funky sound. His band from Oklahoma is super under-rated

[Melodic Dreamer]

It would have to be Robben Ford.
Michael Landau if you want a rock/blues guitarist.

[kofblz]

This guy needs to be mentioned. His career was short but his best was as good as anybody's.

[insideout]

SRV for me just because he broke big as i was forming as a guitar player at 16 years old in 1983. I would pick up the occasional guitar player magazine and had clapton's blues breaker album and hendrix and they would mention these old blues cats and Stevie just seemed to plug right into that at that time when new wave was all the rage ...

aahh i long for the old days sittin' in my parents bedroom being blown away by his first two albums

good memories

[Melodic Dreamer]

It would have to be Robben Ford.
Michael Landau if you want a rock/blues guitarist.

Just wanted to add

[MarkRhodes]

SRV for me just because he broke big as i was forming as a guitar player at 16 years old in 1983. I would pick up the occasional guitar player magazine and had clapton's blues breaker album and hendrix and they would mention these old blues cats and Stevie just seemed to plug right into that at that time when new wave was all the rage ...

aahh i long for the old days sittin' in my parents bedroom being blown away by his first two albums

Clapton once said the first time he heard "Pride and Joy" on the radio he pulled over to the side of the road, amazed at what he was hearing.

[mrblues]

Well, I think this guy will be unknown to most of You, but he is my fauvorite blues guitarist.

NAme is Tibor Tátrai. Check him out!

[richb2]

[MarkRhodes]

Johnny Winter And live, "It's My Own Fault."

Killer stuff.

[Florencejoh]

I have most like to hearing the guitar sound. it is really wonderful to hear.

my friend and me have to joining in the singing class.

if you get take any training to produce that sound?

[Rob MacKillop]

Roy Buchannan's After Hours remains for me one of the best I've ever heard, and almost anything by BB King.

[Cunamara]

Rory Gallagher. Although not strictly blues.

[richb2]

Roy Buchannan's After Hours remains for me one of the best I've ever heard, and almost anything by BB King.

He was a guy who played really well, but we don't hear his name much anymore.

[Franklin52]

Melvin Taylor:

[cosmic gumbo]

As a lifelong student of the blues, I've heard them all. SRV does it for me more than anyone else.

[AlsoRan]

The late Michael Burks, R.I.P, who passed away in his early fifties was one of many favorites of mine and probably my favorite contemporary Blues. His tone was so full and his vibrato weeped, as did the big man's voice. I caught him live a couple of times - great experience!

[AlsoRan]

Just listened to Michael Burks above and it got me all over again.

The great Bluesmen, in my humble opinion, have a way of making you think their songs are real and are taken from their own life experiences and pain.

[fritz jones]

this guy is pretty good:

[Doctor Jeff]

I have been listening to a ton of Muddy Waters lately. What a giant of music. His voice and his guitar phrasing--absolutely unique.

I realize there were other great blues players around at the time, and he himself learned from and copied from Son House and idolized Robert Johnson, but IMO if he hadn't been moved to Chicago and been recorded by the Chess brothers, we wouldn't be talking about 95% of the folks above. It would just be an obscure folk music. He more than anyone electrified the blues and made it mainstream.

Not to mention all the white guys that had big hits playing his songs. (Though many of them, including the Rolling Stones, Johnny Winters and Eric Clapton, returned the favor.)

BTW Eric Clapton's new album is out--a tribute to JJ Cale. I personally never got into Cale as a performer or guitarist much, though he was a pretty good songwriter. This album is one of EC's better "laid back" albums--nice, understated guitar work, syncopated in the Chet/Merle style but always bluesy. I'll take it over most of his 80's stuff anyday.

[djangoles]

while he didn't do many bloozes....he spanks this one out...and some nice harmonies at 3:22

[Rob MacKillop]

Good choice. I had "Stephen Stills" decades ago - forgot how good it is. Great guitar player, songwriter and singer. He sometimes tuned his guitar EEEEBE - not as far as I know a New Standard Tuning...

[djangoles]

yea...while I'm no hippie, I do like CSNY...and Miles liked them so I guess it's alright then. hahaha

[AlsoRan]

Most of the list has already been covered, but anyway:-

T-Bone

Muddy Waters/Jimmy Rogers

BB

and, always.....Peter Green.

I liked that Peter Green stuff. I know that Gary Moore really thought a lot of him and I can see a taste of why that was so.


But there is something about the bravado, bragging manner of Muddy Waters that gets your attention. He was one heck of a "trash" talker in his songs and had a way of making me laugh and smile as I listened to him or watched one of his videos!

[AlsoRan]

Now if you want to hear Blues with a rock inflection like Albert King's later tone, and Cream/BluesBreaker Blues, here is what IMHO is one of the great Blues Guitars performances from Gary Moore.

[entresz]

Hard to pick a favorite but I love Albert King's playing.... big, loud and brash.

[peterx]

There are many greats and it's unfair to compare them but I like Eric Clapton best. His thick, icy tone and dramatic phrases set him apart from all the others back in the day. Mayall's other guitarists, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, and Coco Montoya, copied Clapton's sound to a fair extent as has nearly everyone since. Before Clapton guitars were twangy sounding; nowadays twang is a minority (though I love a good Tele twang.) I don't want to deny Peter Green's greatness but I don't like it when people invoke him to trash Clapton. One quote I've seen is that B.B. King said that Peter Green had more talent in his left finger than King had in his whole body. That's impressive praise but I haven't been able to locate a credible source for it. You've no doubt heard the one about Jimi Hendrix being asked how it felt to be the greatest guitarist and replying 'Don't ask me; ask [fill in the blank with your favorite.]' Most people now think that quote is apocryphal, but in any case all versions of it but one are apocryphal!

I also like Wes Montgomery, Lenny Breau, Kevin Eubanks (there - a living guitarist) and many others.

[peterx]

Thanks for speaking my mind! The phrasing is incredible as was the unearthly tone that Clapton introduced. I agree he should never have converted to Stratism -- though I love the Strat. The Gibson was ideal for him. It's probably that ass writer for Rolling Stone who called him 'master of the obvious' who caused him to reinvent himself. Like Mozart his phrases are 'obvious' only in hindsight and that's because they are so logical and economical. But Clapton would have had to evolve sooner or later. Sadly, blues rock was a fashion and like all fashions you can't keep doing it your whole life unless you want to end up broke.
Some of my favorite Clapton solos are from Beano - esp Double Crossing Time - and Fresh Cream - esp Sweet Wine (what a hurricane of sound!), I'm Glad (sheer perfection), and Sleepy Time Time. Also, the live version of Spoonful from Wheels of Fire is exhilarating. Any minute long chunk of it has more good licks than the average ten minute solo.

[WESTON]

Agree about the early Clapton phrasing. Still kills me. The live version of Sleepy Time. How in the pocket can a player be? To my ears still the best sustaining guitar sound I've ever heard although Derek Trucks is definitely in that tonal dept.
Raw power, volume and that freakish timing/phrasing that he lost in later years.
The day he picked up a Strat was the day the music died IMHO.

I love that song too and that album. I never realized his phrasing was so unique until I saw this cover of another favorite from that album. Anyone know if he picked this up from some traditional blues players? Looks like he holds the fretting on the prior note for sustain. This cover is spot on too. (Impeccable really because he catches every little nuance)

[Jim8208]

I've always dug this from Peter Green. His taste and tone are simply awesome.

Watch Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGBgfbbCALc

[Stevebol]

Fred,

[b_goat]

Freddie King.

[dalko]

RIP Peter Green

[blackcat]

But I don't know if anyone is better at a variety of blues styles than Johnny Winter. And the guy's still out there, playing the hell out of his guitar.

[/QUOTE]

Sadly, Johnny died in 2014 after giving his last performance at the Cahors Blues Festival here in SW France where I was proud to be one of three programmateurs. He died in Switzerland in his hotel room three days later. We have a street named after him - Rue Johnny Winter.

[Beaubs]

First guitarist to pop into my head - Walter Trout

[ragman1]

It's all been said... of the old guys, Blake's a lovely picker.

[cosmic gumbo]

[starjasmine]

OK, very late to this party, and mostly here to say amen to all of the above, esp Al King, Al Collins, Robben Ford and... the one nobody has mentioned yet... Chris Cain! Chris just plays with such soul and a killer tone. He has chops for days but never subverts the melody to the chops, never just shows off. His own site has a bunch of video (link below) and Google can turn you on to much more.

Cain Gallery | Video Clips

[WillMbCdn5]

Hands down Roy Buchanan - say him live twice monster player

Will

[BWV]

Either RL Burnside or Ali Farka Toure

[gggomez]

Robben Ford
T Bone Walker
Eric Bibb

[pingu]

Anyone into Eric Gales ?

Blues Power !

[Sam9]

BB King can't be overstated. Maybe he's too familiar? If you want to play blues, study BB King. That's what every electric player since T Bone did.

[djg]

nobody could cut albert collins

[citizenk74]

BB King can't be overstated. Maybe he's too familiar? If you want to play blues, study BB King. That's what every electric player since T Bone did.

[Doctor Jeff]

Skip James..song sounds familiar... ;-)

Kids, don’t try this picking at home. Might hurt your finger.